ON STAGE
The newsletter of Stagecoach Group
INSIDE
Issue 109 | May 2015
Speaking up page 3 | In the best of health page 5
megabus.com launches domestic
services in Germany
Stagecoach’s inter-city coach brand
megabus.com has launched two domestic routes
in Germany as part of the company’s on-going
expansion in Europe.
megabus.com has introduced one new route
between Munich, Nuremberg, Leipzig, Berlin, Hanover,
Dortmund and Cologne and another between Munich,
Nuremberg, Kassel, Gottingen, Hanover, Hamburg,
Bremen and Cologne, offering travel from just €1.
The new services mean the megabus.com network
in Germany now covers 13 locations.
megabus.com has also established a new operational
base in Munich, creating 23 jobs, with a further 27
employees to be stationed at a crew base in Hanover.
The operator has forged strong ties with local
businesses; Munich-based companies Josef
Ettenhuber and AGK Truck and Bus will assist with
fuelling, cleaning, parking and maintenance of the
megabus.com vehicles.
megabus.com Managing Director Edward Hodgson
said: “This is an exciting development for public
transport in Germany. It will provide more choice for
passengers who will benefit from low fares and high
quality travel to some of the most popular places
across the country.
“Our brand new fleet of coaches allows us to carry
more passengers and keep costs down for our
A megabus.com Astromega vehicle on show in Munich
customers, meaning they have more money to spend
when they get to their destination.
“We’ve been successfully operating coach services for
the past 12 years, with international services to and
from Germany since 2013. Over the past three years,
we have been serving a growing number of European
cities and we are looking forward to creating new jobs
and boosting tourism with our new network.
“Our services will complement existing transport
options for people and our experience in the UK shows
that coach and rail services can both attract growing
numbers of passengers by offering customers good
Who will be your
champions?
Big step for Waterloo
The biggest investment for decades on the UK
rail network has now moved a step closer with the
appointment of a team of contractors who will be
responsible for planning and carrying out major
improvement works at London Waterloo.
An agreement between the South West TrainsNetwork Rail Alliance, Skanska, Colas Rail, AECOM
and Matt MacDonald is now in place and the
consortium will now work with the Alliance to scope
out plans to boost capacity at London Waterloo and
other inner London stations.
The agreement aims to develop detailed plans,
including:
ƒƒ Reopening the former Waterloo International
Terminal to be used regularly by commuter
services.
ƒƒ Lengthening Platforms 1–4 to allow 10-car
value and good customer service.”
As well as using the domestic network, megabus.com
customers in Germany can also connect to crossborder routes, helping to open up travel opportunities
to more than 110 destinations on the megabus.com
network across the UK and mainland Europe.
The number of passengers using megabus.com’s
growing coach network in Europe increased by more
than 60% in the past year as the company continues
to transform travel options for passengers
megabus.com already carries more than 15 million
passengers a year across Europe and North America.
An artist’s impression of what the revamped Waterloo
Station could look like
services to run on suburban routes for the first
time ever.
Christian Roth, Fleet Director of the South West
Trains-Network Rail Alliance, said: “A huge amount
of work has already been carried out to improve
services and increase capacity but we know we
need do to much more. The unique alliance between
South West Trains and Network Rail allows a project
of this size to be delivered efficiently and it will have
a real impact on passengers’ journeys.”
1
The deadline to nominate your 2015 Stagecoach
Champions has now passed and hundreds of
nominations have been submitted over the past
few months.
Over the next couple of months, all entries will be
reviewed and the judges will be asked to choose
their winners from a shortlist
in each category.
Then, those shortlisted
for an award will
be invited to our
2015 Stagecoach
Champions Awards
ceremony in London
later this year.
Did you know?
megabus.com now operates its first domestic journeys in France,
between Paris and Toulouse.
Top coach industry award
What a
Laugh!
Posted on Twitter:
‘Moving house on the rush hour tube,
which is about to get totally rammed...
Today I’m “That guy”!’
If you have seen or heard something funny –
online, in the papers, on social media or just
while out and about – send your contributions
for the ‘What a Laugh’ section in the next edition
to lindsay.reid@stagecoachgroup.com
n Sid
record attempt
megabus.com UK mascot
Sid took part in the 10th
annual Mascot Gold Cup
recently which doubled
as a world record attempt
for the most mascots in
a race.
Sid, who is not known for
his speed over the ground,
put in a good effort but
did not win the title.
However, overall the group
of mascots are thought to
have done enough to set
a brand new world record
so congratulations to all
involved.
n Read
ON STAGE
Stagecoach East Scotland was recognised with a
top honour at the 2015 UK Coach Awards.
The company was awarded the Express Operation
of the Year accolade at the 6th annual event after
impressing judges with its Express City Connect
network which operates across central Scotland.
Stagecoach’s Oxford Tube service, which operates
between Oxford and London, was runner-up in the
same category. Stagecoach East Scotland’s Express City Connect
network operates high-quality coach services across
Fife and into Edinburgh, Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen and
Glasgow. Facilities such as leather seats, on-board
toilets, power sockets, air conditioning and free
wifi have helped make the services an attractive
alternative to the car, achieving increased passenger
numbers. Stagecoach East Scotland Managing Director Andrew
Jarvis said: “It’s fantastic to win this award, which is
testament to the hard work of our employees who
are at the forefront of delivering these services to our
customers all year round.
Engineering Manager Dave Simpson and Operations
Manager Jim Mooney, both from Glenrothes depot,
with their trophy at the 2015 Coach Awards
“We now carry more than 4.2million passengers
a year on our Express City Connect network and
by investing in new vehicles, with free wifi, and
delivering excellent customer service, we look
forward to attracting even more people on to our
greener, smarter coach services in the future.”
‘I make the difference’ awards
Sid (left) with a fellow
mascot at the event
all about it
Over 600 pupils at a primary school in South
Shields are to benefit from a new static library for
their school with the donation of a recently retired
double decker bus from Stagecoach North East.
The bus will be fixed as a static library in the
grounds at Westoe Crown Primary School and
will receive a make-over – including the removal
of seats and a new carpet fitted – with pupils,
staff and parents getting involved in decorating to
transform the old bus into a brand new library.
Brian Sleightholme, Operations Manager for
Stagecoach North East’s South Shields depot, said:
“Being able to lend a helping hand to community
projects like a new library for a school on our
doorstep is always important, especially when it
comes to youth learning and development.”
The Westoe Crown Primary pupils with their new
library bus
South West Trains has recognised employees
from across its Customer Services department at the
first ever ‘I Make the Difference Awards’. The winning
employees were honoured for their outstanding
contributions to customer service at an awards
ceremony, sponsored by TPT station retailing and
STM Security, at the Kia Oval in London.
Awards were given out across 15 categories to
a variety of employees working as guards, gate
line staff, community, environmental, performance
and safety champions and security personnel. The
winners of this year’s Station Pride Awards were
also announced.
The winners, who came from across the network,
received a certificate and a cash prize at the awards
lunch. All of the train operator’s customer service
departments were represented with winners from
stations including Fratton, Basingstoke, Honiton,
Weybridge and Guildford.
Awarding the prizes, Arthur Pretorius, the South
West Trains-Network Rail Alliance Director
for Customer Service, said: “I would like to
congratulate all of our winners. We had a large
number of entries and heard some incredible
stories. It made the job of selecting the most
worthy very difficult.
“We have a great team of 2,500 employees
working within the Customer Service
department who are crucial to making the
difference for passengers on our trains and at
our stations day in, day out. Awards like these
can only recognise a small fraction of our
people but they remind us of the fantastic work
that goes on across the business.
“We look forward to receiving even more
nominations and hearing about the wonderful
work of even more of our employees during
next year’s awards.”
VIP treat for David
Five-year-old bus enthusiast David Elston, from
Hampshire, was given a dream come true VIP tour of
Chichester bus station, thanks to Stagecoach.
David, who has autism, was invited by Stagecoach
after his mother Donna contacted the company
explaining David’s great passion for everything
relating to Stagecoach buses.
Stagecoach staff Steve Thorpe and Lee Bridle gave
the youngster a personal tour of the Chichester bus
station and garage site to see all the buses followed
2
by a trip through the
bus wash. David was
also presented with a
number of gifts from
Stagecoach including
David got into the driving
his very own model
seat during his visit
Stagecoach bus.
Steve Thorpe, Stagecoach’s Marketing Officer,
said: “It was a real pleasure to meet David and
we hope his passion for buses continues.”
ON STAGE
Military service convoy ... find out more on page 5.
South Managing Director retires
Stagecoach South
Managing Director
Andrew Dyer (pictured)
has announced plans to
retire in July.
He will be succeeded
as Managing Director
of Stagecoach South
by Mike Watson with
effect from 1 July
2015. Mike has been
Managing Director at Stagecoach South West for the
past two years.
Andrew Dyer has 45 years of service to the bus
industry and for a short time also previously held a
management role in the rail industry. He has worked
with Stagecoach for 21 years.
His career started in 1970 with a holiday job in
Oxfordshire sweeping floors and bus conducting.
Since then he has worked at Charlton-on-Otmoor
Services, in Oxfordshire, the National Bus Company
in Exeter and Cheltenham, Cheltenham & Gloucester
Omnibus Co and South West Trains. He was
appointed Managing Director of Stagecoach South in
1999, a post which he has held ever since.
Robert Montgomery, Stagecoach UK Bus Managing
Speaking up
We would like to take this chance to remind
employees about our whistleblowing policy
called Speaking Up.
For normal, everyday enquiries employees are
advised to contact their line manager in the
first instance. However, the Speaking Up policy
provides a way for employees with serious
concerns about the interests of others or the
Group to come forward.
Staff are actively encouraged to report any
concerns about malpractice, including bribery,
corrupt practices and financial impropriety.
Measures are in place to ensure complaints are
treated confidentially. All complaints are logged,
investigated and appropriate action taken.
Copies of the recently updated Speaking Up policy
are available online at www.stagecoach.com
or from your line manager. For any questions,
advice or further information please get in touch
with one of the following contacts:
Director, said: “Andrew has had an extensive career in
the UK bus industry and I would like to thank him for
his loyalty and commitment to Stagecoach over many
years. Most recently, his knowledge and experience
has been invaluable as part of the integration of the
former Norfolk Green operations into the business
and we wish him all the best in his retirement.
“I would also like to congratulate Mike on his
appointment. Over the past two years, he has
established strong community links in the south
west and I am sure he will bring that same spirit
of partnership and focus on customer service to
his new role.”
Mike Watson has been Managing Director,
Stagecoach South West, since July 2013 and has
been in the bus industry for nearly 20 years. Before
joining Stagecoach, Mike spent five years with
Arriva as General Manager of the St Helens depot
and then as an Area Manager in Yorkshire. He joined
Stagecoach as Operations Director at the North East
business in November 2011.
A recruitment process is now underway for the
Managing Director post at Stagecoach South West.
Stagecoach has also confirmed that from 1 May
2015, Norfolk Green will become part of Stagecoach
East and trade as Stagecoach Norfolk.
Andrew Levy, Stagecoach Group Legal Director
Phone: +44(0)20 7620 5976
Email: andrew.levy@stagecoachgroup.com
Address: Stagecoach Group plc, Friars Bridge Court,
41-45 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NZ
Michael Vaux, Stagecoach Group Company
Secretary
Phone: +44(0)1738 642043
Email: michael.vaux@stagecoachgroup.com
Address: Stagecoach Group plc, 10 Dunkeld Road,
Perth, PH1 5TW
Lindsay Reid, Stagecoach Senior Group
Communications Manager
Phone: +44(0)1738 642019
Email: lindsay.reid@stagecoachgroup.com
Address: Stagecoach Group plc, 10 Dunkeld Road,
Perth, PH1 5TW
Jazmine Estacio, General Counsel, Coach USA
Phone: +1 (0)201 225 7587
Email: jazmine.estacio@coachusa.com
Address: Coach USA, 160 South Route 17,
North Paramus, New Jersey 07652
Supertram satisfaction for passengers
Research has shown that 92% of Supertram
passengers are satisfied with their tram services.
The results of the Passenger Focus Tram Passenger
Survey showed that Supertram’s overall passenger
satisfaction score was above the average score of 90%
for the six UK light rail networks covered in the survey.
Supertram Managing Director Margaret Kay said:
“We’re focused on offering great value, integrated
travel so people can make the most of tram and
bus services in the city and we will continue to work
hard to further improve the reliability and punctuality
of our services in the months and years to come.”
3
n First
class brekkie
Customers travelling with East Midlands Trains
can now enjoy a first class experience from start
to finish with the launch of a new complimentary
breakfast offer in the company’s five main First
Class Lounges.
Neil Micklethwaite, Customer Service and
Commercial Director for East Midlands Trains,
said: “By providing a light breakfast in the lounges
it means that people can have the best of both
worlds – a light breakfast at the station and then
a full English on the train.”
n VIP
vehicle visit
Bus enthusiasts got a treat recently as an
Scania Metropolitan MD 60 vehicle undertook a
tour of bus garages in east and south east London
including Plumstead, Barking, Rainham, Catford
and West Ham.
Organised by Visions
International, the
tour used Ensignbus’
freshly restored
Metropolitan bus,
one of 164 delivered
between 1975 and
1977 and built by
Scania and MetroCammell-Weymann.
(L-R) Paul Almeroth of Ensignbus, Steve Barker
Plumstead depot union rep and 89-year-old former
Plumstead driver Dave Edwards
n Youngsters get on the buses
Children receiving treatment for brain tumours
were given their very own open top double decker
bus for the afternoon in Nottingham, thanks to
Stagecoach East Midlands.
Youngsters at the Nottingham Queens Medical
Centre enjoyed tours around the site on board
Rocky, a member of the Skegness Seasiders family.
Stagecoach also donated £1,000 as part of
on-going fundraising efforts for the Children’s
Brain Tumour Research Centre (CBTRC) charity.
Louise Wright, Publicity Officer for Stagecoach
East Midlands, has a personal connection with the
CBTRC after her daughter, Leah Brockbank, battled
with a brain tumour for three years and was treated
at the centre. Leah passed away on 1 January
2013 and now Louise continues to raise money for
the charity, with support from family, friends and
Stagecoach colleagues and customers.
Stagecoach East
Midlands hands
over the cheque
with Rocky the
Seasider in the
background
ON STAGE
Belles Express launched ... find out more on page 6.
n On
board the hacktrain
npicture this
Passengers travelling with East Midlands
Trains recently saw the start of Europe’s first
ever HackTrain as 40 hackers joined the East
Midlands Trains service for the first leg of a three
day unique event that will saw the creation of
revolutionary concepts by a team of top hackers.
Europe’s best developers took their journey on the
HackTrain, using the London to Sheffield service
as a mobile office as they work against the clock
to create start-ups, apps and prototypes that
could be presented in front of CEOs and investors
in a bid to become the HackTrain champion.
n Top
team driver
Coach Canada driver Dave Fox has been
recognised for his dedication and commitment
by a local hockey club.
Dave – who has been the dedicated driver for
the Oshawa Generals Hockey Club for 25 years
– was awarded a framed team jersey by way
of a thank you from the squad.
This edition’s Picture This winner was taken by
driver Stephen Giddings who works for Stagecoach
Midlands. It shows a vehicle on a foggy morning in
Mawsley, Nothamptonshire.
Congratulations to Stephen who will shortly receive
his prize of £50 in M&S vouchers.
If you have any good photos for Picture This please
send them to Lindsay Reid, On Stage, Stagecoach
Group, 10 Dunkeld Road, Perth, PH1 5TW, or email
it to lindsay.reid@stagecoachgroup.com
Pretty muddy
challenge
Dave Fox (right) is presented with his team jersey
n Special
naming ceremony
Stagecoach South has announced the winner
of a competition to name a Hayling Island bus,
following the launch of five brand new single deck
buses in the area.
The winner of the competition was Gil Carter who
chose the name ‘Peter Chilvers’ after a former
island resident who was an inventor, engineer and
promoter of sailing and windsurfing.
Stagecoach South Marketing Officer Steve
Thorpe said:
“We wanted
to give our
new vehicles a
‘local’ identity
that both we
and the local
residents who
catch our
buses can be
proud of.”
Local Operations Manager for Stagecoach Bob Jackson
presents Gil with his prize
New agreement good
for passengers
Rail passengers on South West Trains will benefit
from a £50 million package of improvements under
an amendment to the current South West Trains
franchise agreement between Stagecoach Group
and the Department for Transport.
The agreement means millions of pounds worth of
passenger improvement initiatives will be introduced
between now and February 2017. Passengers will
not have to wait for a new franchise to benefit from
these initiatives and taxpayers will gain better value
from public investment.
Planned improvements include more capacity on
trains, space for passengers, improved technology
and better ticketing and enhanced customer service.
Chief Executive of the South West Trains-Network
Rail Alliance Tim Shoveller said: “These exciting
changes will deliver the biggest package of customer
focused benefits for years.”
The Stagecoach Seven team prepare for the charity
event (missing from photo: Gyana Marins)
Seven members of staff at Stagecoach’s
Cambridge depot will be standing up to cancer
by running in Cancer Research UK’s exciting
new Pretty Muddy event in June.
The Stagecoach Seven signed up for the
challenge in support of their many friends,
family, colleagues and customers who have
survived cancer and for those who sadly lost
their battles.
Pretty Muddy is a women-only, non-competitive
5k obstacle course – with added mud.
Stagecoach East Operations Director and Group
leader Zoe Paget said: “We’ve had a look at the
course online so know what to expect but we’re
not sure how muddy we’re going to get or how
many changes of clothes we’ll need. Some of
the team aren’t sure about the mud but I keep
telling them how good it will be for our pores!”
To support the team with a donation visit
www.justgiving.com/stagecoach-7
4
Alliance Chief Executive Tim Shoveller and Rail Minister
Claire Perry celebrate the announcement
Right on cue
Rail passengers had the chance to challenge
snooker pro Ken Doherty to a quick game of snooker
whilst travelling through Sheffield station recently
as East Midlands Trains helped launch the World
Snooker Championships.
Money raised from the challenge went towards
Sheffield Children’s Hospital and Ashgate Hospice.
Jason Cocker, East Midlands Trains Route Manager,
said: “This is the second year we’ve supported the
championships in this way and it generates a great
deal of excitement amongst passengers and staff.”
Did you know?
An animation video has been released, showing the work
going on to improve the South West Trains network.
letter of praise
One of our customers at Stagecoach South East
has penned a poem to sing the praises of her
bus service.
Dear Sir/Madam,
I recently wrote a poem about the Thanet Loop and it will be published in a book called
“Home is where the heart is”. I love the Thanet Loop and rely on it a lot to get to work.
The Thanet Loop travels the towns in a speedy
and reliable way
Know when you need a bus; you won’t have to
wait all day.
Some of the people you meet are local folk
They’ll chat whilst hopping on to avoid a soak.
The driver may smile and say his job is fun
Another will grumble, it’s for the wife and bills
must be done.
They come every ten minutes until late at night
Those colours and the noise are a familiar sight.
Taking people to work and some to school
Even some passengers who sit with their wool
It takes youngsters to see their friends
And others to places their lives depend.
On this fine day the bus you will get.
Remember to smile and treat the driver with respect.
With its great prices and plenty of space
You sure can’t beat the Loop to get around this place.
Thank you for reading
Name supplied.
If you or one of your colleagues has received a letter of praise from a customer, please email a copy to
lindsay.reid@stagecoachgroup.com or post it to Lindsay Reid, Senior Group Communications Manager,
Stagecoach Group, 10 Dunkeld Road, Perth, PH1 5TW. We will publish as many as possible.
In the best of health
Stagecoach North East has been recognised for
its commitment to improving the health of its staff in
Newcastle after receiving the Bronze Better Health
at Work Award.
Employees at Walkergate bus depot received the
award as part of an initiative to promote health and
wellbeing in workplaces across the region. The
company has signed up to the minimum four-year
programme and will build up to achieve Silver, Gold
and Continuing Excellence standard over the next
three years.
To achieve the Bronze Award, Stagecoach North East
took up the challenge of promoting health among
staff, with a series of workplace health campaigns and
fitness activities taking place over the past 12 months.
Tommy Blacker, Assistant Operations Manager at the
Stagecoach Walkergate depot, said: “Everyone at
the depot has taken this scheme on wholeheartedly
and have achieved great personal goals already as
a result. In fact, there has been so much enthusiasm
and support for the project that our standard was
almost good enough for Silver!”
Michael McMullen
(centre) from the
Newcastle upon
Tyne Hospitals NHS
Foundation Trust with
Tommy Blacker, Assistant
Operations Manager
at the Stagecoach
Walkergate depot, and
Stagecoach Operations
Manager David Wakefield
The first Stagecoach vehicle at the head of the procession
Celebrating
military service
Stagecoach West provided a convoy of nine
buses to a special remembrance event in
Gloucester, titled ‘Saluting the Gloucestershire
Regiment’, which celebrated twelve generations
of military service with particular focus on nine
servicemen from the Gloucestershire Regiment;
eight of whom hold the Victoria Cross and one
of whom holds the George Cross.
Each of the Stagecoach vehicles contained
further information about each of the nine local
servicemen on-board.
Nathan Griffith-Williams, Marketing Manager
of Stagecoach West, said: “Stagecoach began
working with the Royal British Legion back in 2013
when we unveiled the first ever dedicated ‘Poppy
Bus’ and this is a fantastic second step in a very
strong relationship between us. We’re hoping to
take these dedicated buses into schools around
the county and help to educate students on the
rich history of the servicemen.”
5
ON STAGE
n Island
Line reopens
after repair
Work to repair storm damage to the Island Line
on the Isle of Wight finished ahead of schedule
after engineers worked hard to complete the
project as quickly as possible.
Island Line Manager and Head of Customer
Experience Andy Naylor said: “We are very
grateful to our passengers, local residents and
businesses who have all been so patient over the
last couple of months. We know that the work
has had an impact on a lot of people but now
that it has been completed and the embankment
strengthened against future bad weather, we look
forward to resuming the service our customers
have grown to know and love.”
n Egg-stra
special
customer service
Over Easter,
the Basingstoke
Station team, along
with Amy Sullivan
and David Kwang
from Fratton Depot,
organised a great
weekend full of fun
Basingstoke Station
activities to engage
supervisor Allan
with customers,
Brown with his Easter
make their day and
giveaway goodies
also have fun!
Station Supervisor Allan Brown organised an
Easter egg appeal which resulted in over 60
Easter eggs being donated to the children’s ward
at the Basingstoke Hospital. In addition, the station
also ran an Easter egg colouring competition.
Staff also dressed up as SWT bunnies and
distributed Easter eggs around the station and
onboard of trains.
Camila Lobo, Duty Station Manager at
Basingstoke, said: “We had a really positive
response from the public and it was fantastic
to see how happy people were when we
approached them!”
n By
royal appointment
Four buses were provided by Stagecoach
Yorkshire to assist the Queen in handing out
Maundy money to 178 pensioners at a service
in Sheffield Cathedral during Her Majesty’s
recent visit to the city.
The Stagecoach vehicles transported the
Maundy money recipients and local dignitaries
to and from the church service as part of
the event. During the service, the Queen
distributed specially-minted money to the men
and women, all from the Sheffield area.
Did you know?
n Get
Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire is now the official
transport partner of Tranmere Rovers Football Club.
on your bike
International transport charity Transaid is
looking for volunteers for its latest fundraising
challenge – The Three Day Celtic Challenge:
Brecon Beacons to Dublin.
The 350km challenge takes place over just
three days, from 18-21 September 2015.
Anyone interested in taking part can visit
www.transaid.org or email
florence@transaid.org for more details.
n Praise
for gas buses
A survey has revealed that 92% of passengers
across Sunderland prefer Stagecoach’s gas
buses to standard vehicles.
Ninety-three percent of passengers who
responded to the survey said that the gas bus
offered a ‘smoother, more comfortable ride’,
while 94 percent agreed that the bus was
‘quieter, with much less engine noise’.
Customers said that other aspects played
an important part in their decision to use
the buses, such as improved environmental
performance, with 42 percent stating this as
a main factor and 50 percent saying it was a
bonus when choosing a bus service.
Access to free wifi has also been a driving
factor for passengers, with 50 percent saying
it was part of the reason for choosing a gas
bus and almost 40 percent agreeing that it is
a positive bonus when riding the bus.
n Funding
for cycle facilities
Cyclists using stations on Stagecoach’s rail
networks will soon benefit from enhanced cycle
facilities at stations across the network thanks to
investment from the Department for Transport.
East Midlands Trains has been awarded £1.441m
to pay for cycle schemes at 16 different stations
across the network, while South West Trains has
welcomed the Transport Minister’s announcement
that over £3.7 million has been committed to
further improve cycling facilities at 36 stations
on its network.
The money will pay for a range of facilities including
additional racking, cycle hire and new cycle hubs.
David Oldershaw, Area Station Manager –
Leicestershire, said: “This is fantastic news for
cyclists using our network. Over the last 18
months we have installed more spaces than
ever before and this trend is set to continue with
this investment.”
Phil Dominey, Stakeholder and Accessibility
Manager for the South West Trains-Network
Rail Alliance, said: “This funding will allow us to
enhance our cycling facilities even further and roll
out our popular cycle hubs to even more stations
across our network.”
green scene
The Belles Express launched
The Belles Express
– a new luxury hourly
coach service between
Gloucester and North
Bristol – has been
launched by Stagecoach
West.
The new coach service
has air conditioning,
great value fares, wifi,
onboard WC, leather
seats and power
sockets. It’s also more
cost-effective than
The new Belles Express vehicles
travelling the same
distance by train.
Rupert Cox, Managing Director of Stagecoach West,
Given the aviation history of both Gloucester and
said: “We’re changing the daily commute for many
Bristol, Stagecoach West chose a classic 1940s
passengers, giving them more luxuries than they’d
retro airline feel for the coach to tie in with both
find on their alternative routes, and also saving them
the history and the current local manufacturing.
some money at the same time.”
Splash of colour
in Paignton
A nine-metre long mural has been unveiled by
Stagecoach South West as the final phase of it’s
modernisation of Paignton Bus Station.
The mural features many of the Bay’s popular
visitor attractions and represents the latest project
completed in partnership with English Riviera
Attractions (ERA), and the English Riviera Tourism
Company (ERTC). It is designed to not only brighten
up the bus station but also provide inspiration for
anyone looking to plan a day out in the Bay.
Helen Scholes, Marketing Manager for Stagecoach
South West, commented: “Torbay is blessed with
such a fantastic range of attractions, the majority
of which are easily accessible using our buses.
I’m delighted I could work with ERA to produce this
mural and I hope it helps bring even more visitors
to their doors.”
GREEN WEEK 2015
Stagecoach’s Green Week takes place this
year from 1–5 June, with lots of activities focusing
on the theme of ‘Getting greener together’.
These include:
ƒƒ Green initiatives and competitions
ƒƒ Green giveaway events and roadshows
at companies across the UK
ƒƒ UK Bus and megabus.com (Canada)
competitions for customers to win free travel
ƒƒ Park Run events in the UK and US
ƒƒ Employee environmental awareness events
ƒƒ Competitions and information through social
media channels
ƒƒ Local companies attending green community
events
ƒƒ Paper amnesty and recycling schemes
ƒƒ Stagecoach green teams getting involved
in Local environmental projects including
litter picks and planting activities
ƒƒ ‘Leave your car at home’ days
ƒƒ Green quizzes and competitions with top
prizes for employees
ƒƒ ‘Wear something Green’ on World
Environment Day
Look out for information about Green Week
activities within your local business during
the week.
The new mural at Paignton Bus Station
6
ON STAGE
100 years of women on the buses ... find out more on page 9.
n Top
Claim to fame
dog
Mike Ferianc, Safety Manager for Butler Motor
Transit, Lenzner Coach Lines, Coach USA Erie,
and Gadabout Tours, along with his wife Bonnie,
recently attended the prestigious Westminster
Dog Show in New York City at Madison Square
Garden where they showed one of their dogs,
Alaskan Malamute Soko. At the show they
received an Award of Merit. The couple have 10
other dogs, all Alaskan Malamutes, and own a
kennel just outside Butler, PA.
n Pedal
power
Representatives from South West TrainsNetwork Rail Alliance and East Midlands Trains and
Stagecoach Rail Business Development will soon
be representing Stagecoach in a British Transport
Police led team charity cycling event taking place
between Land’s End to John O’Groats.
Sixteen riders in total from the Group will take turns
on a 24-hour constant rotation to complete the
970 mile route to support several charities including
The Samaritans, Mind and Victim Support.
The Stagecoach Charitable Committee has donated
an old articulated sleepercoach which will enable
riders to rest and sleep whilst on the move. The
Group is also funding the drivers and fuel for
the event.
Anyone who would like to donate to the cause
can do so at the following link:
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiserweb/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.
action?userUrl=BTPLEJOG2015&isTeam=true
n Taking
to the road
Stagecoach West Scotland, Strathclyde
Partnership for Transport (SPT) and North Ayrshire
Council (NAC) have welcomed the arrival of
Arran’s new bus fleet.
The low-floor, wheelchair-accessible vehicles
are the result of a £1.5m investment by SPT and
will significantly enhance the provision of bus
services for the people of Arran and its many
visitors. Stagecoach has been awarded a package
of contracts to operate the island’s bus network
using the new vehicles until 2019.
(L–R) Guy Bodie, Stagecoach Operations Manager
and John Thomson, Engineering Manager, with two
of the new vehicles
ank
Caroline Fairb
If you, or one of your colleagues, have
a claim to fame – perhaps a hidden
talent, a meeting with a celebrity or an
interesting hobby – please email details
to lindsay.reid@stagecoachgroup.com
South West Trains-Network Rail Alliance Commercial Media
Manager Caroline Fairbank was the envy of many after
meeting Hollywood superstar Bradley Cooper.
The actor was in London working on a feature film which
was being filmed at London’s Waterloo Station where
Caroline caught up with him for a photo.
New sleepercoach reservation system
Stagecoach has launched a new bed reservation
system on its megabusGold.com overnight
sleepercoach routes in the UK.
The new online service allows customers to reserve
the kind of bed they would like when booking their
tickets for no extra cost (simply the price of their
ticket and 50p booking fee). Under the new system,
passengers travelling on overnight sleepercoach
services – which have lie-flat beds – also have the
option to reserve two adjacent lower bunks for single
occupancy, if they would prefer more space, for an
additional fee of £25.
megabusGold.com Managing Director Edward
Hodgson said: “We’re always looking for ways to
The megabusGold.com sleepercoach interior
offer an even better service and being able to offer
this new reservation system is one way for us to
deliver even more for our passengers.”
Nikki is top apprentice Recognising loyal service
East Midlands Trains’ travel adviser Nikki Palmer
has been named Stephenson College IT Apprentice
of the Year 2014.
Nikki, who is based in the booking office at Beeston
Station, has worked for the company for 14 years
– nine of them as an on-board Customer Host and
five as a Travel Adviser in the booking office.
She said: “I love my job and find dealing with the
customers very interesting. I’ve always enjoyed
technology too and wanted to keep up with IT but
going to college to study at a regular time each week
wasn’t possible due
to my shifts.
“Thanks to the
IT apprenticeship
scheme I’ve been
able to learn in the
workplace at a time
that fits in with my
Nikki receives her certificate
working hours.”
from Mark Walker, Faculty Head
at Stephenson College
7
Loyal service was recognised recently at Stagecoach
Cumbria and North Lancashire marking 708 years of
long service from 25 long serving staff.
Managing Director of Stagecoach Cumbria and
North Lancashire Nigel Winter said: “Having so many
long-serving employees is proof of the commitment
and dedication our staff have to customers and the
passenger transport industry in the area.”
Cliff Lord (pictured in the centre seated), who retired
from his Data Monitoring role at Morecambe Depot
in 2014, celebrated 65 years’ service. He started his
career with Pennine
Motors at Ingleton
in 1947 as a
conductor and
moving onto Ribble
Motor Services in
Morecambe from
The long-serving Stagecoach
1949, which later
employees with Managing
became Stagecoach Director Nigel Winter (right)
at the ceremony
North West Ltd.
Did you know?
n Recognising
Stagecoach Group donated £5,000 to Save the Children for the aid
operation following the recent earthquake which struck Nepal.
excellence
East Midlands Trains has successfully retained
its five star rating under the Recognised 4
Excellence (R4E) accreditation.
The assessors praised the company’s focus on
employee engagement, highly dedicated and
motivated staff and focus on customer satisfaction,
demonstrated throughout the organisation.
n Paint
yourself funny
Stagecoach South joined forces with Tangled
Children’s Hair Salon and Imagine Face and
Body Art to raise almost £300 for Comic Relief
in a ‘Paint yourself funny’ event.
Imagine Face and Body art were on site all
day painting funny faces for people of all ages.
There was a funny photo competition and other
activities on the day as well as a Stagecoach
goody bag to take home.
Pete Robinson, Operations Manager for
Chichester, said: “It was great to see how many
people, including the staff, embraced the day.
A number of our buses wore red noses and our
staff got involved baking cakes and wearing
something red for the day”.
Two of the fundraisers who took part in the day
n Good
to talk
Coach USA representatives recently spent a
day on Capitol Hill, Washington DC, meeting with
Members of Congress to discuss transportation
issues that impact the bus and coach industry.
(L–R) Sean Hughes, Coach USA Associate Director
Corporate Affairs, Congressman John J. Duncan Jnr,
Dale Moser, CEO Coach USA and Elizabeth Burks
of Steptoe, which provides legal and Government
affairs support to Coach USA
ON STAGE
Maxwell Jones
It is with sadness that Stagecoach Midlands
has paid tribute to employee Maxwell Jones who
passed away in February, aged 62.
Max started work in the bus industry in 1974 at
Potteries Motor Traction Company. He later worked
at numerous bus companies including Hants and
Dorset Motor Services, Crosville Motor Services,
United Automobile Services Ltd and Southern
National Ltd.
Max joined Stagecoach in July 1997 as Traffic
Manager at Corby depot before moving to the post
of Assistant Operations Manager in Northampton.
He was appointed Pricing and Data Analysis
Manager at Midlands Head Office in 2006.
Max, who leaves behind his wife Ruth and
daughter Rowena, played the clarinet and
composed music, was fluent in Welsh, loved fine
dining and spent many hours gardening. His wit
and humour will be sorely missed by everyone.
The late Maxwell Jones
On-track to raise money
Virgin Trains East Coast got involved as two
military helicopters escorted a train into York
station to support a team of Royal Navy sailors on a
fundraising mission.
With limited resources and no means of money,
the sailors from 815 Squadron Royal Naval Air
Squadron (RNAS) Yeovilton landed by helicopter on
the roof of the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle
with the task of making the 332-mile journey back
to their base in Somerset to raise money for the
Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC).
They began their five-day mission by working
alongside Virgin Trains East Coast staff at
Newcastle station.
Virgin Trains East Coast Managing Director David
Horne met the team at York station and said:
“When we heard about the team’s mission to raise
money for such a good cause we wanted to do all
we could to help – and the helicopter escort was
a great bonus for our customers. A key part of the
challenge was that the sailors had to earn their
passage on our train to York and so they helped to
load passengers’ luggage and our catering supplies
on board at Newcastle before heading to York.”
Travelling safely
Under the Travelsafe Partnership, a dedicated team
of 16 police constables, police community support
officers, special constables and security personnel
will provide regular patrols on the region’s networks
for the next three years.
Matt Davies,
Operations Director
at Stagecoach
Manchester, said:
“Safety is our number
one priority and while
instances of crime and
antisocial behaviour
on our buses are
low, the TravelSafe
Partnership will provide
a reassuring presence
for our customers.”
Representatives from travel operators across Manchester at the launch of the initiative
Stagecoach Manchester is part of a new pilot
scheme which will significantly boost the ability to
tackle and prevent crime and antisocial behaviour
on Greater Manchester’s bus and tram network.
8
Did you know?
East Midlands Trains handed out empire biscuits
to customers to mark St George’s Day.
The below
recipe for ‘Curry
in a hurry’ was
submitted by
Supertram
driver Richard
Singer as it’s
one of his
favourites.
ON STAGE
Mascots in unison at Sandy Park
Some of
the mascots
on the day,
including
Stagecoach’s
Hop bunny
(second from
left)
Curry in a hurry
Ingredients
1 tbsp sunflower oil, 1 red onion thinly sliced,
1 garlic clove, 2 tsp ready-prepared ginger from
a jar, ½–1 tsp ready-chopped chillies from a jar,
200g can chopped tomatoes, 200g raw peeled
prawns or chopped skinless boneless chicken,
2 tsp gujarati masala or garam masala, 3 tbsp
low fat yoghurt, handful coriander leaves roughly
chopped or torn.
Method
Heat the oil in a pan, add onion and fry until they
colour. Crush the garlic into the pan, add ginger
and chilli, cook briefly. Add tomatoes and quarter
of a can of water and bring to the boil. Simmer
for two minutes. Add prawns or chicken and
gujarati masala. Cover and cook for 2–3 mins
for prawns and 5–6 mins for chicken. Reduce
the heat to a simmer, then stir in the yoghurt
a tablespoon at a time.
Serve
Sprinkle with coriander and serve with warm
garlic and coriander naans and a crisp salad of
cucumber, shredded lettuce, sliced red onions
and wedges of lemon.
n Women
Mascots from across Devon, including Stagecoach
South West’s Hop bunny, recently descended upon
Exeter’s Sandy Park, home of the premiership rugby
team Exeter Chiefs, for some half-time frivolity during
the Chiefs v London Welsh rugby match.
Red Nose Routemaster Three peaks for Leon
Virgin Trains East Coast employee Leon Boldock,
rides again
For the second year running Barking Driver Tony
Miles “borrowed” one of West Ham’s traditional
Routemasters to operate and fundraise on Route 5.
During the journeys between Romford and Canning
Town collections were made for Red Nose Day and
over £300 was raised over six journeys.
Tony was helped by colleagues dressed as
characters from “On the Buses”, Mandy Allaker
as Doris, Charles Bell as Jack and Amanda
Washbourne as Olive.
from the accounts team in York, finished the
Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge in just seven hours
to raise money for The Railway Children charity.
When asked how he got on he said: “57,863 steps,
£500+ raised for a very worthwhile cause, 106 jelly
babies consumed, 40 kilometres, four weathers
(fog, wind, sun and snow), three peaks conquered,
two aching legs and one MASSIVE thank you to
everyone who supported me and made donations
to Railway Children!”
If you’d like to support this great cause, there’s still
time to donate by visiting
www.justgiving.com/Leon-Boldock
Driving challenge
on the buses
2015 marks 100 years since the first women
were recruited to work on London’s buses. To
honour this, the London Transport Museum
– supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund
and London Transport Museum Friends – is
helping females in the industry today to deliver
a community exhibition sharing the stories of
women in 1915 and celebrating the impact
they have had in the 100 years that followed.
To raise awareness, museum staff have
been visiting London bus garages, including
Stagecoach depots.
Women are invited to create their own exhibition
with London Transport Museum. A series of
free creative workshops are being held for any
women working in the London area.
To find out more or to book a place, email
Kathryn.Palmer-Skillings@ltmuseum.co.uk
The ‘mascots in unison’ event was to promote
the Rugby World Cup games coming to Devon
and to celebrate Devon’s Top Attractions 30th
Anniversary year.
The Red Nose Routemaster fundraising team
Getting smarter
Bus passengers across South Tyneside are
the first in the north east to benefit from a
transformational new multi-operator smart
ticketing scheme that will mean they can catch
any bus to their destination.
The new SmartZone initiative gives customers the
flexibility to use one smartcard to travel across the
borough with multiple bus operators and offers
unlimited travel from less than £1.80 per day.
The development comes just months after
Britain’s biggest bus operators pledged to deliver
smart ticketing to millions of customers across
England during 2015.
Stagecoach Midlands assisted recently as MP
for Daventry Chris Heaton-Harris took part in a
bus driving challenge.
The MP took several Stagecoach Midlands buses
around a series of challenges in car park 49 at
the Silverstone Circuit under the guidance of
Stagecoach driving instructor Paul Hill.
Chris Heaton-Harris said: “I’ve always wanted
to have the opportunity to drive a bus and know
that the driving skills required are more difficult
than most people.”
Daventry MP Chris Heaton-Harris behind the wheel
9
the people page
n Final
dispatch
George Russell, Rail Operator at Waterloo,
has retired after 25 years working at the station.
He dispatched his last train, the 12.50 Salisbury
service, from platform 5 while his colleagues
looked on. George will be missed at Waterloo for
all the help he has given others. On his final day
his colleagues laid on a buffet and a presentation
took place.
George on his final day at Waterloo
n Bidding
farewell
Stagecoach East Midlands has bid farewell to
two long-serving employees. Tom Duckmanton,
part of the admin team at Mansfield Depot,
has retired after 44 years of service, while
Gainsborough Driver Bob Joyce has retired
after 33 years’ service.
Colleagues wish both well in their respective
retirements.
Mansfield Operations Manager Keith Elliott
with Tom Duckmanton (right)
ON STAGE
Getting to know you...
Sean Hughes, Director Corporate Affairs, North America
■■ Who are you?
Sean Hughes, Director Corporate Affairs,
North America.
■■ What do you like most about your job?
I love the people that I work with. Also, I love
that when I walk into State Houses or Capitol
Hill everyone knows megabus.com and loves
our product.
■■ What do you like least about your job?
Preparing for the unexpected because I never
know what will cross my desk.
■■ Favourite food?
Steak or Italian.
■■ Least favourite food?
Cauliflower
■■ What are you most proud of?
My career and the amazing opportunities
that I have been given.
■■ Favourite holiday destination?
Vermont for skiing.
■■ Most embarrassing
moment?
Good question. It takes
a lot to embarrass me.
I’m not sure!
■■ Favourite music?
Springsteen, Rolling
Stones, Kenny Chesney
(I always get the look
when I throw country in
there but it’s true!).
■■ Person you would most like to have dinner with?
President Lincoln or Pope John Paul II.
■■ First thing you would buy if you won £1 million?
I’d buy a vacation house.
‘Getting To Know You’ features in every edition
of On Stage and we want to hear from as many
staff as possible. To suggest the next participant,
email lindsay.reid@stagecoachgroup.com
Long service Farewell to
Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire
has celebrated its longest serving employees at
a special awards evening in Liverpool.
At the awards – which highlighted the commitment
and hard work delivered by the company’s
longstanding workforce – six drivers, including
Jimmy Moogan, Geoff Hives, Albert Griffith and
Robert McIntryre from Liverpool’s Gillmoss depot,
were rewarded for a collective total of 270 years
in the bus industry. In total, 107 Stagecoach
Merseyside and South Lancashire employees
received an award for reaching between 20 and
45 years service.
The awards also highlighted bus drivers who have
been accident-free for a number of years, including
Dave Birch from Birkenhead.
Meanwhile, Merseyside and South Lancashire
Operations Director Rob Jones has celebrated
25 years in the transport industry after starting
as a bus cleaner.
Rob said: “I just want to keep doing what I’m doing.
It’s an exciting industry to be involved in. I love my
job and the people I work with.”
n Contacts
Editor: Lindsay Reid, On Stage, Stagecoach
Group, 10 Dunkeld Road, Perth, PH1 5TW
Email: lindsay.reid@stagecoachgroup.com
If you have a story for On Stage, please contact
Lindsay Reid as above. The copy deadline for
the next edition of On Stage will be Wednesday
17 June 2015.
10
Brendan
Long-serving HQ employee Brendan Mackinven
retired recently as Group Construction Manager.
Over the past 26 years Brendan made a huge
contribution to the Group, with many new depots
constructed over the period. Most were built in
the UK but he also worked on the construction
of a depots in Hong Kong, Portugal and Kenya,
as well as a Boeing 747 maintenance hangar
at Prestwick Airport.
Following Brendan’s retirement, Stuart Farr
(previously Project Development Manager)
has been promoted to the post of UK Bus
Construction Manager.
Paul’s return
Paul Clark has returned to Stagecoach East
Midlands after completing a spell with the Kowloon
Motor Bus Company (KMB) in Hong Kong, the largest
privately owned bus company in the world, where
he was working in a commercial role.
Paul, who started his career with Stagecoach
Strathtay, returned to the UK and took up the role of
Operations Manager at Hull depot last month. He said:
“I am absolutely delighted to be rejoining Stagecoach
and leading the very committed and talented team
already at Hull. There are some fantastic opportunities
to grow the business with the upcoming European
City of Culture in 2017 and I will be working hard
to further improve our services to our customers”.